Cash-Strapped Spring Breakers Go Domestic

SYRACUSE, N.Y., March 9, 2009 -- Annie Kozakiewicz is leaving today. The Syracuse University senior is heading to Miami with a few friends for spring break, a decision she says was all about the money.

"We don't really have that much money, so we wanted to take a cheap trip," she explained. "We didn't want a spring break where we would have to spend a lot of money -- we're scaling back."

Call it just another sign of a weak economy, but college kids all over the country are feeling the pinch and cutting back on spring break plans. Though some may still head to Las Vegas or Panama City, Fla., lots of cash-strapped students said they planned to stay closer to home.

For April, peak spring break period, airlines have scheduled 8 percent fewer seats than last April on domestic and international flights from the United States, according to USA Today.

"When you travel domestically, the logistics and planning are a lot easier," said Patrick Evans of STA Travel. "It's obviously going to be a lot less expensive, so it's definitely a good option if you're unsure of how the economy is going to go from here on out."

It's that ease that prompted Kozakiewicz to stay in the United States. "It was somewhere warm, it was somewhere close, and I didn't have to get a passport," she said.

Same Crowds, Different Destinations

Evans predicted that the number of travelers wouldn't change. "The number of students traveling will probably end up being roughly the same, but the destinations definitely are a little bit different," said Evans. "We've seen, for example, Acapulco has dropped off a little bit but we've seen Jamaica pick up those bookings. Miami has been more popular than in previous years."

According to Evans, students booked their trips earlier this year than in the past, in an effort to lock in lower prices. He also said that STA hadn't seen the price increases that usually accompany last-minute bookings.

"Usually as you get closer to the spring break deadline for students, the prices can get as much as $300 more than they were earlier in the booking cycle," he said. This year, those prices have remained pretty much the same. That increase just hasn't happened."

Even those who did travel abroad chose destinations that are easier on their wallets. Syracuse senior Justin Kaufman ditched the cold on Saturday and traveled to Montego Bay, Jamaica, with friends.

"Cost was definitely a factor," Kaufman said. "I mean we spent three or four weeks looking up prices, going back and forth among hotels and locations. When we put them all together, this hotel in Jamaica ended up being the most bang for your buck."

Lower prices or not, both Kozakiewicz and Kaufman were determined to go on spring break. It was just a question of making it work.

'Rite of Passage'

"Going on spring break is a rite of passage, no matter what anyone says," said Kozakiewicz. "I made a deal with my parents before I came to college. They were like, 'You're not allowed to go on spring break unless it's your senior year, and you have to plan it and you have to pay for the flights.'"

Kaufman, too, admitted he'd never been on spring break before but was intent on going. "Before I graduated from college I really wanted to do this, to have this opportunity," he said.

To keep costs even lower, Kaufman is staying in Jamaica for only four days, and then going back home to Long Island for the rest of the week.

"I'm going home for a few days, but at the same time I'm going away," he said. "It's the perfect mix of relaxing on a beach, going home and visiting with friends and family, as well as doing the whole job hunt thing, but with the economy being the way it is, I don't know how that's going to work out."

Grounded by Finances

"I'm staying in Syracuse for spring break, and it's largely the financial issue," said Syracuse University senior Sunnivie Brydum. "I just can't afford to go anywhere else. I'm from Denver, so going home is really expensive also. It's not like I can jump in a car and drive for a few hours to go home."

Brydum said many of her friends from the Northeast are driving home rather than heading to warmer climates. Either way, she's still not thrilled to be staying at school over the break.

Stuck in 'Tundra'

"It's a little bit of a bummer to be stuck in the frozen tundra on earth that is Syracuse," she said, "while my friends are getting tanned on the beaches of Mexico and all of these other places I would love to be."

For Kozakiewicz, her spring break trip is worth it, no matter what the cost.

"Almost everyone goes on spring break and senior year just seems like the right time to do it," said Kozakiewicz. "It's a celebration of four years and everything that's happened."